South Seven Conference champion Cahokia continues climb in Class 4A state football poll
Two weeks after clinching their first playoff bid since 2009 and a week removed from wrapping up an undefeated South Seven Conference championship, the Cahokia Comanches continue to move up in the Class 4A football poll..
Coached by former NFL offensive lineman John Clay, the Comanches (7-1), moved up one spot and are ranked fifth in the Class 4A poll which was released on Tuesday. One of five metro east area teams ranked this week, Cahokia can finish its best regular season in over a decade and perhaps clinch a first round home playoff game with a win on Friday against O’Fallon.
The IHSA announces its playoff field and first round pairings in all eight classes on Saturday night.
In Class 7A, East St. Louis (6-2) picked up three first place votes in voting done by sports media from around the state and remain third behind defending state champion Batavia and Chicago Brother Rice. The Flyers can wrap up another undefeated SWC championship with a win at Alton onm Friday.
Highland, which clinched the Mississippi Valley Conference championship by beating Mascoutah, remain fifth in Class 5A. One of seven undefeated teams ranked in the top 10 in Class 5A, the Bulldogs (8-0) hosts winless Charleston on Friday.
Ranked in the top 10 in the Class 4A state poll all season, Columbia (7-1) bounced back from a loss to Central two weeks ago to defeat Red Bud 44-7 last week. The Eagles are ranked eighth in the Class 4A poll and will host Jersey (4-4) this week.
Nashville (7-1) moved up from tenth to ninth in the Class 2A poll. Teams earning votes but not ranked in the top 10 this week include Edwarsville (Class 8A), Belleville West ( 7A), Mater Dei (4A), Freeburg (4A), Central (3A) and Madison (1A).,
State Football Polls
Here are the latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters:
Class 8A
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. | Lincoln-Way East (9) | 8-0 | 98 | 1 |
| 2. | Maine South | 7-1 | 87 | 2 |
| 3. | Marist (1) | 7-1 | 79 | 3 |
| 4. | Oswego | 8-0 | 74 | 4 |
| 5. | Homewood-Flossmoor | 7-1 | 60 | 5 |
| 6. | Bolingbrook | 7-1 | 43 | 7 |
| 7. | Naperville Central | 6-2 | 25 | 8 |
| 8. | Warren | 7-1 | 23 | NR |
| 9. | Glenbard West | 6-2 | 21 | 6 |
| 10. | Hinsdale Central | 6-2 | 15 | 10 |
Others receiving votes: Oswego East 8, Oak Park-River Forest 5, Neuqua Valley 4, Edwardsville 3, Plainfield South 3, West Aurora 2.
Class 7A
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. | Batavia (6) | 8-0 | 102 | 1 |
| 2. | Brother Rice (2) | 8-0 | 96 | 2 |
| 3. | East St. Louis (3) | 6-2 | 81 | 3 |
| 4. | Nazareth | 7-1 | 77 | T-4 |
| 5. | Mt. Carmel | 7-1 | 64 | T-4 |
| 6. | Simeon | 8-0 | 63 | 6 |
| 7. | Hononegah | 8-0 | 43 | 7 |
| 8. | Normal Community | 7-1 | 31 | 8 |
| 9. | Glenbard East | 8-0 | 23 | NR |
| 10. | St. Charles North | 6-2 | 7 | 10 |
Others receiving votes: Rolling Meadows 6, Belleville West 4, Moline 4, Wheaton Warrenville South 2, Lincoln-Way West 1, Hoffman Estates 1.
Class 6A
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. | Cary-Grove (7) | 8-0 | 106 | T-1 |
| 2. | Richards (4) | 8-0 | 102 | T-1 |
| 3. | Willowbrook | 8-0 | 76 | 3 |
| 4. | Phillips | 6-2 | 73 | 5 |
| 5. | Glenwood | 8-0 | 62 | 6 |
| 6. | Prairie Ridge | 6-2 | 48 | 4 |
| 7. | Niles Notre Dame | 7-1 | 47 | 7 |
| 8. | Normal West | 7-1 | 38 | 8 |
| 9. | DeKalb | 7-1 | 33 | 9 |
| 10. | Providence | 5-3 | 8 | 10 |
Others receiving votes: Sacred Heart-Griffin 8, Kenwood 3, Bloomington 1.
Class 5A
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. | Washington (9) | 8-0 | 107 | 1 |
| 2. | Montini (1) | 8-0 | 98 | 2 |
| 3. | Sterling (1) | 8-0 | 89 | 3 |
| 4. | Hillcrest | 8-0 | 75 | 4 |
| 5. | Highland | 8-0 | 63 | 5 |
| 6. | Antioch | 8-0 | 58 | 6 |
| 7. | Decatur MacArthur | 6-2 | 39 | 8 |
| 8. | Metamora | 7-1 | 31 | 7 |
| 9. | Payton | 8-0 | 21 | 10 |
| 10. | Kaneland | 6-2 | 14 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Marion 4, Sycamore 3, St. Francis 2, Carbondale 1.
Class 4A
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. | IC Catholic (12) | 8-0 | 147 | 1 |
| 2. | Rochester (3) | 7-1 | 136 | 2 |
| 3. | Rockford Boylan | 7-1 | 111 | 4 |
| 4. | Taylorville | 8-0 | 109 | 3 |
| 5. | Cahokia | 7-1 | 76 | 6 |
| 6. | Coal City | 7-1 | 69 | 5 |
| 7. | Richmond-Burton | 7-1 | 50 | 7 |
| 8. | Columbia | 7-1 | 48 | 8 |
| 9. | Pontiac | 7-1 | 42 | 9 |
| 10. | Marengo | 6-2 | 23 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Freeburg 4, Breese Mater Dei 3, Fairbury Prairie Central 3, Urban Prep Charter/Bronzeville 2, Herrin 1, Murphysboro 1.
Class 3A
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. | Byron (6) | 8-0 | 144 | 1 |
| 2. | Bishop McNamara (7) | 7-1 | 137 | 2 |
| 3. | Carlinville (2) | 8-0 | 130 | 3 |
| 4. | Monticello (1) | 8-0 | 125 | 4 |
| 5. | Farmington | 8-0 | 96 | 5 |
| 6. | Williamsville | 7-1 | 78 | 6 |
| 7. | Lisle | 8-0 | 55 | 7 |
| 8. | Beardstown | 7-1 | 44 | 9 |
| 9. | West Frankfort | 7-1 | 30 | 10 |
| 10. | Paris | 8-0 | 22 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Fairfield 9, Anna-Jonesboro 2, Monmouth-Roseville 2, North Boone 1, Rock Island Alleman 1, Vandalia 1, Breese Central 1, Dunbar 1, Elmwood-Brimfield 1.
Class 2A
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. | Maroa-Forsyth (10) | 8-0 | 145 | 1 |
| 2. | Orion (4) | 8-0 | 133 | 2 |
| 3. | Decatur St. Teresa (1) | 8-0 | 118 | 3 |
| 4. | Sterling Newman | 7-1 | 98 | 4 |
| 5. | Eastland-Pearl City | 8-0 | 93 | 5 |
| 6. | Illini West (Carthage) | 8-0 | 72 | 6 |
| 7. | Pana | 7-1 | 53 | 7 |
| 8. | Hope Academy | 6-2 | 51 | 8 |
| 9. | Nashville | 7-1 | 39 | 10 |
| 10. | Eldorado | 6-2 | 6 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Rockridge 5, Knoxville 4, Bismarck-Henning 4, Collins 2, Clifton Central 1, Mercer County 1
Class 1A
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. | Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (15) | 8-0 | 168 | 1 |
| 2. | Lena-Winslow | 7-1 | 142 | 2 |
| T-3. | Tuscola | 7-1 | 114 | 3 |
| T-3. | Princeville | 8-0 | 114 | T-4 |
| 5. | Ottawa Marquette (1) | 8-0 | 113 | T-4 |
| 6. | Camp Point Central | 7-1 | 75 | 6 |
| 7. | Argenta-Oreana | 8-0 | 68 | 8 |
| 8. | Concord (Triopia) | 7-1 | 53 | 7 |
| 9. | Milledgeville | 8-0 | 39 | 9 |
| 10. | Aurora Christian | 5-3 | 19 | 10 |
Others receiving votes: Athens 10, Sesser-Valier 6, Madison 5, Fisher 4, Carrollton 2, Red Hill 2, Orr 1.
This story was originally published October 17, 2018 at 12:49 PM.